The Broken Covenant

1The worde that came to Ieremiah from the Lord, saying, 2Heare ye the wordes of this couenant, and speake vnto the men of Iudah, and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem, 3And say thou vnto them, Thus sayeth the Lorde God of Israel, Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the wordes of this couenant, 4Which I commaunded vnto your fathers, when I brought them out of the lande of Egypt, from the yron fornace, saying, Obey my voyce, and doe according to all these things, which I commande you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God, 5That I may confirme the othe, that I haue sworne vnto your fathers, to giue them a lande, which floweth with milke and hony, as appeareth this day. Then answered I and sayde, So be it, O Lord.

6Then the Lord saide vnto me, Cry all these words in the cities of Iudah, and in the streetes of Ierusalem, saying, Heare yee the words of this couenant, and doe them. 7For I haue protested vnto your fathers, whe I brought them vp out of the land of Egypt vnto this day, rising earely and protesting, saying, Obey my voyce. 8Neuerthelesse they would not obey, nor encline their eare: but euery one walked in the stubbernesse of his wicked heart: therefore I will bring vpon them all the wordes of this couenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did it not.

9And the Lord sayd vnto me, A conspiracie is found among the men of Iudah, and among the inhabitants of Ierusalem. 10They are turned backe to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to heare my wordes: and they went after other gods to serue them: thus the house of Israel, & the house of Iudah haue broken my couenant, which I made with their fathers. 11Therefore thus sayth the Lord, Beholde, I will bring a plague vpon them, which they shall not be able to escape, and though they crye vnto me, I will not heare them. 12Then shall the cities of Iudah, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem goe, and crie vnto the gods vnto whome they offer incense, but they shall not bee able to helpe them in time of their trouble. 13For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Iudah, and according to the number of the streetes of Ierusalem haue yee set vp altars of confusion, euen altars to burne incense vnto Baal.

14Therfore thou shalt not pray for this people, neither lift vp a crie, or prayer for them: for when they cry vnto mee in their trouble, I will not heare them.

15What shoulde my beloued tarie in mine house, seeing they haue committed abomination with manie? and the holy flesh goeth away from thee: yet when thou doest euill, thou reioycest.

16The Lord called thy name, A greene oliue tree, faire, and of goodly fruite: but with noyse and great tumult he hath set fyre vpon it, and the branches of it are broken.

17For the Lorde of hostes that planted thee, hath pronounced a plague against thee, for the wickednes of the house of Israel, and of the house of Iudah, which they haue done against themselues to prouoke me to anger in offering incense vnto Baal.

A Plot against Jeremiah
(Jeremiah 18:18–23)

18And the Lorde hath taught me, and I knowe it, euen then thou shewedst mee their practises.

19But I was like a lambe, or a bullocke, that is brought to the slaughter, and I knewe not that they had deuised thus against me, saying, Let vs destroy the tree with the fruite thereof, and cut him out of the lande of the liuing, that his name may be no more in memory.

20But O Lord of hostes, that iudgest righteously, and triest the reines and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for vnto thee haue I opened my cause.

21The Lorde therefore speaketh thus of the men of Anathoth, (that seeke thy life, and say, Prophecie not in the Name of the Lorde, that thou die not by our hands) 22Thus therefore sayth the Lorde of hostes, Beholde, I will visite them: the yong men shall die by the sword: their sonnes and their daughters shall die by famine, 23And none of them shall remaine: for I will bring a plague vpon the men of Anathoth, euen the yeere of their visitation.